I bought these little guys in the Canadian Islands last weekend. The largest was golf ball size--most were just a bit smaller. They're purple-brown all over but with little bright orange butts that turned just a little redder over the days it took me to finish them. I made the mistake of turning all these butt up, so the orange-red color looks more pervasive than it is. It was actually no more than 25% of the fruit, and most were less. The skins are taut and snappy, and the flesh is thick-walled and suprisingly pale and even greenish for so vivid an exterior. Don't know what their name is, but if you have a chance to buy or grow some, jump at it. They're a great little tomato.

No, it's not those. Black Prince are like the Kumatos, so green-and red at once that they're almost brown. These were solid, deep purple-brown--almost black--top and sides and deep reddish orange on the tip of the bottom, not just the lower half.

My wine shopping and I have never had a problem. Just a perpetual race between the bankruptcy court and Hell.--Rogov

I am growing Indigo Rose this year and I believe that this is what you have. The shoulders are dark, eggplant purple and the bottoms bright green that turns red as they ripen. Said to have the highest anthrocyanin content of any tomato they are golf ball to ping pong ball size, have a somewhat tough skin and relatively pale interior. I've found the taste somewhat bland in the first 3 I've harvested. Google Indigo Rose Tomatoes for pics.

Also trying Canestrino di Lucca and Chocolate Stripes and 2 German varieties - Reisentraube and Blondtropfchen this year. The shape of the Canestrino is exquisite. Not ripe yet to comment on flavor. THe Chocolate Stripe is just delicious. The Germans are small cherry tomatoes with a very distinctive pointed end. The Blondie is thumb nail sized, bright yellow and so prolific that I can't keep up with them. The other is a bit larger and intensely red with less acid than the ordinary red cherry.The only tomato that I consistently plant is Sungold. I am a sucker for new and unusual varieties.

Bingo, Christina, that's definitely the tomato. Thank you so much for solving the mystery! Here's a bit of verbage from a Los Angeles Times article about them:

Jim Myers, professor of horticulture at Oregon State University, used conventional crossing (not genetic modification) of experimental selections to breed the much darker Indigo Rose, which he released this year. Because of its beauty and novelty, it quickly caught on with home gardeners and farmers market growers, including Vang Thao of Fresno, who sells at both Torrance markets and at Santa Monica on Saturdays, and Mark Carpenter of Santa Paula, who is at Santa Monica on Wednesdays and Saturdays.

Anthocyanins are flavorless, although genes linked to their presence can affect taste. Indigo Rose, whose intermediate size makes it a "saladette," in tomato parlance, has a nice balance of sweetness and acidity, and good tomato flavor, although it doesn't compare in richness and complexity with the finest heirlooms such as Black Krim. Its ripeness can be difficult to judge, since the usual visual cues can be masked by purple; skin exposed to the sun tends to be dark and shaded portions reddish orange.

Some studies have claimed that anthocyanins serve as antioxidants that scavenge free radicals, which can cause cancer; lower LDL cholesterol, the type that fosters heart disease; and protect against diabetes. Interestingly, an Oregon State Web page for Indigo Rose says that "some recent research suggests that anthocyanins may not act directly as antioxidants, but may produce health benefits in a more complex manner."

In any case, the anthocyanins in Indigo Rose are just in the skin, not the flesh, so the variety's anthocyanin content is lower than that of many dark fruits such as blackberries and cherries; and since the ruddy pigment is water soluble, it largely disappears when Indigo Rose is cooked.

The plants appear to grow and bear well here, even in the brutal heat of Fresno. Jimmy Williams of Hayground Organic Gardening, who sells out of the plants at the Santa Monica and Hollywood markets whenever he offers them, says they seem exceptionally healthy; but Tim Eckerton, who grows them in more humid conditions in Pennsylvania, says that his plants appear to be susceptible to disease. Since this is a new class of tomato, it may take time for growers to figure out where and how best to grow it and for the public to learn how to use it.

My wine shopping and I have never had a problem. Just a perpetual race between the bankruptcy court and Hell.--Rogov

Its size and color helps make it a perfect addition to a platter of cherry tomato halves. For a dinner party for 10 last weekend I had a huge white oval platter filled with red, yellow, orange and black cherry tomatoes along with the Indigo Rose. They and the Black Cherry were the largest diameter. The yellow Reisentraube, the smallest. Quite like an abstract painting of circles. Hated to break into it but it was totally demolished in a matter of minutes.

The plant is very prolific here and I did have a tough time telling when it was ripe until I flipped the orb up to see that the green belly had turned reddish orange. The intense purple shoulders become very dark, almost black when ripe.I wouldn't turn the plant down next year but there are so many interesting tomato varieties and so little room to plant.....not sure I would go out of my way for it. The peach tomato, on the other hand, Wausipinicon, has it all...shape, size, skin texture and taste. Don't think twice about the Thai pink....as tasteless as a December hothouse even if interesting color.

Christina Georgina wrote:Its size and color helps make it a perfect addition to a platter of cherry tomato halves. For a dinner party for 10 last weekend I had a huge white oval platter filled with red, yellow, orange and black cherry tomatoes along with the Indigo Rose. They and the Black Cherry were the largest diameter. The yellow Reisentraube, the smallest. Quite like an abstract painting of circles. Hated to break into it but it was totally demolished in a matter of minutes.

The plant is very prolific here and I did have a tough time telling when it was ripe until I flipped the orb up to see that the green belly had turned reddish orange. The intense purple shoulders become very dark, almost black when ripe.I wouldn't turn the plant down next year but there are so many interesting tomato varieties and so little room to plant.....not sure I would go out of my way for it. The peach tomato, on the other hand, Wausipinicon, has it all...shape, size, skin texture and taste. Don't think twice about the Thai pink....as tasteless as a December hothouse even if interesting color.

Any summer tomato I've had called a pink has always reminded me of winter tomatoes in both taste, low acidity and slightly pithy texture. Now in winter I'm actually okay with eating those since my tomato addiction will settle for even a bad tomato vs. no tomato at all, but in the summer it seems to strange to purposefully grow such a thing.

My Sun Golds are finally starting to ripen. I've been able to eat 1-3 most days for a week now, and an early girl is finally changing color. It's ramping up, in other words, but I don't think the plants have nearly as much fruit as they did last year. Makes me sad!

My wine shopping and I have never had a problem. Just a perpetual race between the bankruptcy court and Hell.--Rogov

Jenise wrote:My Sun Golds are finally starting to ripen. I've been able to eat 1-3 most days for a week now, and an early girl is finally changing color. It's ramping up, in other words, but I don't think the plants have nearly as much fruit as they did last year. Makes me sad!